UK Ministerial Adviser Claims AI Firms Won't Compensate Creatives For Training Data

Kirsty Innes, a special adviser to the UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, stated that AI companies will likely never have a legal obligation to compensate artists, writers, and musicians for using their work to train AI models. Her comments, made before her government appointment and later deleted, revealed that AI firms could use copyrighted content unless creators explicitly opt out, a proposal currently under consultation by the UK government. This opt-out approach has alarmed the creative community, including prominent figures like Mick Jagger, Kate Bush, and Paul McCartney, who demand stronger protections and a fairer deal for creatives. The Tony Blair Institute, where Innes previously worked, has received significant donations from Oracle, a major backer of AI infrastructure projects involving OpenAI. Despite tensions, some publishers such as The Guardian and Financial Times have proactively signed licensing agreements with OpenAI to monetize their content’s use in AI training. The UK government has since formed working groups from both creative and AI sectors to address the complex issues of copyright and AI use.